All The Pretty Colors
by prettybaby
Summary: Some interesting things are about to happen. Theres a new girl at school who has everyones trust. An ancient spell cast by the Founders unites Hermione and two other girls in a very unusually way. Full Summary inside! May become R rated.
1. The Breaking of Friendships

Title: All the Pretty Colors

Rating: PG-13/R

Ships: Harry/Hermione, Harry/Ave, Ron/Susan

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and certain characters. Jeez, I wish I were as brilliant as J.K.!

Summary: It's a new year, Hermione's Sixth Year to be exact, and some interesting things are about to happen. There's a new girl at school who has everyone's trust. An ancient spell cast by the Founders unites Hermione and three other girls in a very unusually way. Everyone is trying to forget the events of last year at the Department of Mysteries, and in doing so is tearing their friendships apart. Someone is trying to ruin Hermione's life and hurting innocent bystanders in the process. Old friends, new friends and new loves sprung from old friendships. And maybe, just maybe, Luna Lovegood isn't as mad as everyone thinks she is. Learn what it means to want All the Pretty Colors.

A/N: Please, please, please review!! I need to know what all of you think! 

*.:The Breaking Of Friendships:.*

Four lone figured cluttered together in a small, circular room. Raised voices could be heard, it was obvious they were arguing about something of great importance. The fire beside them flickered furiously, casting an angery glow on the features of the equally angered people. A female voice spoke above the other three. 

"I will have no part in this!" She proclaimed fervently. "If we do this, there is no telling what may happen. To give so much power to a girl is like placing the weight of the world on her shoulders!" The woman, who adorned a dark blue dress, stood from the table they were all congregating around. "There must be another way," she continued. "We cannot do this." The glow of the fire danced across her black hair and made her blue eyes shine. She was a very beautiful girl, with pale skin and a small frame. She looked innocent and frail, but to anyone who knew better, that was the farthest thing from the truth.

A tall, slim man stood from where he was seated. He too had black hair, though, unlike the girl, his eyes were a deep green. He wore an ugly scowl, which took from the beauty of his face, and rich green robes covered his body. "You stupid girl," he hissed. "This is the _only_ way. We have tired, countless times, to come up with different ideas, you know that." The two standing passed deadly glares at each other. 

"Well then, Salazar," she growled. "Maybe we should try harder!"

A third stood from his seat. He wore red robes with a red cloak over them. His hair was a sandy blonde that seemed to shimmer and come alive with the glow of the fire. His eyes were a soft chocolate and at the moment, glowing with anger. "Stop it, the both of you. With all that is going on at the moment, the last thing we need is to fight amongst each other." He glared at the two and the recipients bowed their heads in shame. "Rowena," he spoke to the girl. "I understand your reasoning, but I agree with Salazar." At this the man in green mumbled a 'For once,' but they all ignored it and the man continued, "But this is the only way. We have tried and yet we come up empty." 

Throughout the man's reasoning Rowena continued to glared at him. She couldn't believe that they were all uniting against her. There was a time when all four of them would agree with each other without question. Now it seemed they could not make the simplest of decisions without arguing. "Godric, we cannot do this. Not only is it immoral but impossible. No girl at this school is strong enough to carry that much power. You know that, we all do." She looked at the three with pleading eyes. 

The man, Godric, looked to her. He understood where Rowena was coming from. No one loved the children that inhabited the school anymore than they did. "Not now, Rowena. We don't need it now. Years into the future. That is when we will need the spell." He looked forlornly over to his side.

"It doesn't matter! It is all the same, whether it is needed now or needed a thousand years into the future!" Rowena pushed back her chair and turned to leave. 

The fourth, that had been silent until now, spoke from where she sat. "Rowena." Her voice was commanding and the girl in blue stopped in her tracks. She turned slowly and looked to the girl that she considered to be her best friend. Was she going to quarrel her also? "Rowena, our circle has already begun to break. Once we were best friends, the four of us. Now our differences and our beliefs pull us apart." The girl stood. Her sun-yellow dress ruffled as she moved. Her blue eyes looked to her friend. "We will not be here to protect the Wizarding World forever. Even now, this is but a mere shadow of our friendship. Not only is this our only option, it is our last resort." 

Rowena merely shook her head. "I never thought that I would be disagreeing with you, Helga. What you propose to do is unjust. Who are we to dictate the life of four unsuspecting girls?"

Helga walked towards her friend. "It is unjust, I know. But in times like these we need to make decisions, no matter how hard they may seem." She smiled a sad smile and kissed Rowena on both cheeks. She knew what was to come next.

"I understand Helga, I do," she bowed her head and tried with all her might to keep the oncoming tears at bay. "But I will have nothing to do with this." She turned and walked out of her friends' grasp. The three around the table watched as their friend walked out of the room, her skirt flowing behind her until it left the light of the fire. They watched as Rowena Ravenclaw walked away from the friendship she had known all of her life. 

"What do we do now?" Salazar asked. The question hung in the air until finally someone answered.

"Let her go," Helga said. "We'll do it without her." 


	2. Train Rides and New Student

*.:Train Rides and New Students:.*

Hermione Granger stepped from inside her parents' Audi and looked about her. It was a busy day at Kings' Cross, she noticed, as she smoothed out a few wrinkles that found their way onto her blue blouse. She walked next to the edge of the car and popped the trunk. She grabbed her extremely heavy school trunk and her father, who had just emerged from the drivers' seat, grabbed the second (and equally heavy) trunk. Her mother, who had dashed away to retrieve a trolley, came back pushing the metal contraption and the two Grangers hoisted the heavy trunks onto it.

Once that matter was settled Hermione walked back over to the back seat of the car and grabbed hold of a pet carrier that held her ginger cat, Crookshanks. The obese cat gave an offended yowl as she rose him into the air only to land on top of one of the two trunks. Hermione giggled and scolded her cat as if he were a young child. "Oh Crookshanks, calm down. We do this every year."

Mr. Granger looked menacing at Crookshanks. He and the ginger cat never really got along. He found it odd however, that Crookshanks had been the only animal to dislike him in all of his long 50 years. Mr. Ganger pushed his glasses back to the bridge of his nose and grabbed hold of the carts' handle. All three of them started walking towards the large train station, Mr. Granger toting the heavy trolley and Hermione chatting animatedly with her mother. 

"No mum, you see, Animigus is the ability to change into an animal." For the past half hour Hermione had been trying to explain to her mother what exactly she would be trying to achieve this year, her Sixth Year at Hogwarts. It was an understatement to say that it was not going too well.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, but I don't think I'll ever be able to understand all of your magic." The elder lady gave a flitted laugh as she placed a hand on her daughters' back to urge her forward into the barrier of nine and three-quarters. Hermione sighed, knowing that she would never get her mother to comprehend all that the Wizarding World had to offer, and ran straight into the concrete barrier. To anyone who didn't know of the Wizarding World would have thought that the young woman would run into the hard wall only to bounce back, feeling all the more sorer. 

When Hermione emerged on the other side it seemed as though she had entered a whole other world. And that she did. Wizards and Witches bustled about her in an excited frenzy, some talking enthusiastically to friends and others loading huge, heavy trunks onto a scarlet train. Hermione again pressed away any wrinkles that had yet to disappear and ran her fingers through her long chocolate tresses. She heard her mother gracefully step through the wall and she turned around only to see her father crash through seconds later. She laughed as he father struggled to stop the cart from moving any farther. Even though this was her seventh year boarding the Hogwarts Express, and even though her parents accompanied her each and every year, her father never quite got the hang of passing through the magical barrier. 

When Hermione's giggles subsided and she cracked open her eyes to wipe away the tears of pleasure she spotted a mop of flaming red hair not far from where she stood. It was her best friend, Ron Weasley, and judging by the fact that his red head rose above the sea of students to a considerate extent, he had grown at least another four inches over the summer. 

Ron caught sight of her and ran towards the threesome. "Hermione!" Ron stopped in front of her and scooped her into a bone-crushing hug. Hermione could not, for the life of her, figure out why Ron seemed to be so happy. It wasn't every day that he grabbed her and squeezed so hard that her eyes might pop out. "It's so great to see you, Hermione!" He let her go and held her at arms-length, observing her as if she were a child he hadn't seen in years. 

"Ron, why are you so happy?" She looked up at him with a confused look. At her question Ron's face turned a deep red, a color that almost rivaled his flaming locks, and he looked down at the ground with a small smile playing across his features.

"Well the thing is, you see," he began, "something very interesting happened over the summer." He paused to look up at her face and she gently urged him on with an encouraging look. "Well after the whole thing with You-Know-Who last year the Ministry's been a lot more open-minded. They've actually been taking advice from Dumbledore." All of this Hermione had already known. "Well, over the summer Madame Bones had been over a few times, to discuss tactics and such. And a few times she brought along her niece, Susan Bones, she was in the D.A. last year." Hermione nodded; she knew whom Ron was talking of. "And well, we got to talking and she told me how she thought I was really good in D.A., and... now we're kind of together." He finished his speech lamely and smiled at her, shrugging his shoulders. 

Hermione certainly had not expected this. From what she could remember, she had never once seen Ron talking to Susan Bones during the D.A. practices. Despite her confusion she smiled and hugged him. "Ron that's great!"

The whole time Ron had been telling her about his summer they had walked slowly towards the red engine -- her parents trailing behind her. Once they reached the large train Mr. Granger looked at his watch and sighed. "Hermione, your mother and I have to leave or else we're going to be late for the dentists' convention." He began to load the heavy trunks onto the Hogwarts Express with the help of Ron. Both men grunted as they heaved the hefty luggage up.

"Right Dad." She walked up towards her mother and wrapped her arms around her waist. She had done this for the past five years but it never got any easier; it was hard to leave your parents, to only see them during the holidays. She breathed in her mothers' scent, committing it to memory. She pulled away then and her mother held her at arms-length, much like Ron had. 

"Oh, my baby girl." Hermione knew what this meant. She watched her mothers' eyes cloud with tear and she repeated, "Oh, my baby." Mrs. Granger then kissed her daughter on the forehead. Hermione sighed, smiled, and turned to her father. 

"Well kiddo..." he dwindled off and he looked at her, highly similar to the look his wife had just given her. "Jeez, how you kids grow." He smiled at her and Hermione walked into his open arms. This went as it did with Mrs. Granger, only Mr. Granger did not cry. 

When they had finally separated Mr. Granger pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose again and turned to face Ron. "Well, good-bye Ronald, I hope you have a good year at school." Ron smiled at Mr. Granger and nodded his head. Mr. Granger looked down to the pet carrier that was in Ron's hands and bent a bit to peer in. "Good-bye Crookshanks." The cat hissed loudly and Mr. Granger jumped back in surprise while the cage rattled violently and Ron fought to keep hold of it. "Yes, well." Mr. Granger pushed his glasses up once more and straightened up. "Good-bye Hermione, have a nice time a school. Come on dear." He motioned for his wife and she started walking towards the barrier that led to the Muggle World as she wiped away tears and her laughs at her husbands' antics subsided. 

"Well," said Ron, as they watched Hermione's parents walk through the wall, "best go looking for Harry." Hermione nodded and turned towards the red train to head on.

They must have looked through every compartment, start to finish, before they found Harry in one near the rear. "Hello," he said looking up at them with sparkling eyes, smiling. 

"Harry!" Hermione flung herself at him, not merely because they had found him, but that she didn't have to walk through the cramped little hall anymore. "Oh Harry, how was your summer? Those people didn't treat you too cruelly, did they?" Her face scrunched up at the thought of the Dursleys, as if she had just smelt something horrible.

Harry laughed at the face she made, "No, just the usual," he answered. He cleared his throat and imitated his Aunt Petunia in a high, squeaky voice, "Potter do this. Boy do that." Ron laughed as he placed the carrier Crookshanks inhabited onto an empty seat, but Hermione scowled.

"I don't see why you have to go back there every year! Dumbledore knows how you hate it." She crossed her arms in indignation as she sat down next to Harry. "I guess it doesn't really matter though, seeing as how we only have about two years left, then you never have to go back there again!" Harry just smiled at her.

They spent a good hour talking about their holiday after every trunk, owl and cat carrier had been situated. The train had left the station and now all they could see was rolling green hills all around them. Ron was right in the middle of explaining the events of the first weekend he had met with Susan when none other than 'Loony' Luna Lovegood peeked her head in through the car door. 

"Hello," she said sitting down. "How was your summer?" 

"Mine was fine Luna," replied Harry. "Thanks for asking, how was yours?" Hermione knew well that she was in for a longwinded tail of the safari Luna had taken with her father. Sure enough she jumped right in.

"Oh, it was very good!" She said animatedly, "as you know, my father and I went on a magical safari this summer in the search for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. And although we didn't have any luck getting a good glimpse at them, I'm quite certain that a whole herd of them..." Hermione had blocked her out; she knew there was no such thing as a Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

Hermione proceeded to read the large and ancient tomb of 'Hogwarts: A History', only stopping when there was a loud exclamation to be heard coming from her friends. Only when the witch with the food cart came by did she put down her book. Harry bought them all every kind of sweet the lady had to offer, handing her a Galleon. He placed the goods down in an empty seat for his friends to take freely and, surely, they all reached at the same time.

Hermione chewed on a Chocolate Frog thoughtfully as she talked gleefully with all of her friends. People came and went, passing by the door and waving hello. Last year at this time, Hermione thought bitterly, no one would even come near us for their fear of Harry. She took a chance at glancing sadly at her best friend. She couldn't believe that so much had changed in such a short time. She turned away from Harry only to see Neville and Ginny stride through the doorway. 

Hermione smiled, she hadn't realized how much she had missed her friends. But soon the smiled disappeared from her face as she realized who exactly was in the cart. 

The last time the six of them had been together they had been in the hospital wing, recovering from their injuries from the Department of Mysteries. She twisted her head around to see if Harry had noticed and she knew that he most certainly had, for his head was bowed slightly and he wasn't chatting as much as he had been before the last two had walked in. Was this how it was to be for the remainder of time? For Harry to completely shut down every time something reminded him of the Department of Mysteries? Hermione stayed silent as well. She didn't take notice to the conversation that was going on between the others until Luna's dreamy voice drifted over the clatter. 

"Oh, I must really be going!" She said hurried as she rose from her seat. " Don't tell anyone," she whispered, "but I have a Minkle stowed away in my trunk! I don't think we're allowed to have animals other than owls, cats or toads at school, so I'm sneaking him in." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"What's a Minkle?" Harry asked.

"It's about as real as her Crumple-Horned Snorkacks that's what it is!" exclaimed Hermione.

"Both species, I assure you Hermione, are real," Luna said coldly. "Well I really must be going; Sheldon needs to be fed!" With that she ran out of the door and down the hallway. 

The remaining people in the cart sat in silence for a few moments, Luna's wispy voice rolled around in their heads. Finally Ginny spoke up. "Well I really should be getting along to the Fifth Years' Prefects meeting." 

"Yea, and I've lost Trevor again," added Neville. They both waved good-bye and hastily exited the cabin. It might have been her imagination, but it seemed to Hermione that there was urgency in both their eyes' to get away from the three of them. 

Hermione sighed as she watched them leave and then turned back to her book; it was no use talking to Harry and Ron now, they would both be very glum for the rest of the trip and she'd rather not be the recipient of their bad moods. Her guess was completely right. Ron sat silently across from them chewing forlornly on a Pumpkin Pasty and Harry put all his energy to staring out of the window next to her, his chin resting on the palm of his hand. 

Hermione's eyes were glued to the thick book but she didn't read a word. If only last year hadn't happened! If only that horrible Umbridge woman hadn't come to Hogwarts! If only Dumbledore had stayed; how dare he leave us alone knowing that woman would ruin everything! If only Sirius had stayed at Grimmauld Place! If only Harry had listened to her! 

Yes! She had told Harry to stay at Hogwarts; that Voldemort was playing on his weaknesses to trick him. But had he listened? No! Hermione looked sadly over at her best friend. If only... she sighed and turned back to the book in her lap. Then he wouldn't be so miserable. 

The three friends stayed silent until they finally pulled up to Hogmeade station. Hermione looked out the window and peer through the darkness that had fallen over them. She saw the large castle loom not far from them and she smiled. She was home. 

They grabbed all their trunks and animal carriers. Crookshanks, who had been taken out of the imposing cage sometime during the trip, was shoved back in with a great yowl. "Shush, Crookshanks!" Hermione said. With that she grabbed a hold of her things and walked out of the cabin. 

The cool September air assaulted her senses when Hermione stepped out of the train and she gasped quickly as she wrapped her cloak tightly around her shoulders. "First Years, First Years over here!" She could hear Hagrid the giant behind her and she turned to see him. Sure enough he was standing about five yards from her, swinging a lamp glowing with warm light. She could see his tangled beard shudder as he spoken and his beetle black eyes shown in the light. "'Ello 'Arry, Ron, 'Ermione."

"Hello Hagrid," they all exclaimed, waving as they started walking towards the horseless carriages. But they weren't horseless, Hermione remembered. Thresals carried the black coached up to the school. The only reason Hermione couldn't see the skeletal-like horses was because she had never been a witness to death. 

Ron pushed her forward and she stumbled into one of the many coaches. He came up from behind her and she gave him a reproachful look. "Sorry but you wouldn't move!" He exclaimed. Hermione rolled her eyes and the carriage gave a jolt. 

The ride up to the castle was relatively short and in no time they were being seating in the Great Hall. Hermione craned her head upwards once she had sat down at the Griffindor table. The enchanted ceiling twinkled ethereally with many stars and the moon shone silver. She looked back down when she heard a clamor at the front of the Hall; the First Years had just entered. 

Professor McGonagall told the frightened looking First Years how the sorting worked and one by one they all sat down and had the tattered old hat placed atop their heads. A number of children were placed in Griffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. Only a select few were sorted into Hufflepuff. Each house cheered respectively as the sorting house called out their placement. 

Soon enough all the First Years had been sorted, but instead of Dumbledore standing to welcome old and new students he sat pensively, as if waiting for something. Sure enough there was a soft tapping and Hermione looked back towards the front of the Hall. A girl who looked to be about her own age was walking up to the stool in the front. McGonagall stood waiting for her, holding the Sorting Hat by the tip. The girl silently sat down on the wooden bench and the Professor placed the hat atop her head. The whole Hall stay quiet. Who could this girl be? Surely she was not a First Year; she was definitely too old. And Hogwarts had never had an exchange student... Hermione looked on with a confused gaze.

The Sorting Hat stayed on the girls' head for quite some time. It had been at least ten minutes before the Hat gave its' decision. In those ten minutes Hermione took the time to look over the mysterious girl. She had long blonde hair that curled slightly, which seemed to be strategically placed to look perfect around her mane. Hermione couldn't quite be sure from here, but it seemed as though the girl had sparkling blue eyes; the color of the Atlantic. She was thin but not disgustingly so, and her form was perfect. Hermione found herself slightly jealousy. She wasn't nearly as pretty as the girl being sorted was and she knew soon that all the boys, her boys included, would be drooling all over her. 

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The Sorting Hat shouted. The Hufflepuff table clapped and cheered enthusiastically and both Ron and Harry, Hermione noticed, looked a bit put off. The girl walked towards the applauding table and sat down. The whole Hall erupted in chatter, the topic on all their lips being the new girl.

"Yes, yes, very well!," cried Dumbledore. "Please students of Hogwarts, join me in welcoming all of our new first years and the new Sixth Year addition to Hufflepuff, Miss Ave Hart." All four tables again erupted in noise (Slytherin a little less enthused than the other three).

"As most of you know, the Forbidden Forest is just that -- Forbidden. Any student who enters will be expelled I'm afraid, so please, do not try your luck." He smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Mr. Filch has again posted on his office door the rules and regulations for student when passing in the halls, it might do you well to stop by." Many students rolled their eyes, remembering when last year, Filch had posted the same list and in less than a week had been torn down. "Now, Tuck In!"

An abundance of food appeared on all four tables and students sprung into action as if it had been the first timed they'd eaten in a week. "Thank Merlin!" Ron exclaimed, "I thought we were never going to get to eat!" He grabbed a pork chop and viciously bit into it. Hermione rolled her eyes and took her time scooping a helping of mashed potatoes onto her plate. 

She had just started eating when Ron spoke, spewing rice pudding all over the table "Ish tat all yur gunna eat 'Ermione?" 

Hermione made a disgusted face. "Ron! How many times do I have to tell you to swallow first!" His face glowed red as he swallowed. "And yes, this is what I'm going to eat -- not all of us have a bottomless abyss for a stomach!" Ron stuck his tongue out at her and went back to eating.

Hermione turned to Harry who had been completely silently the whole time. He was staring off blankly in the direction of the Hufflepuff table. "What are you looking at Harry?" She too turned to face the neighboring table and before he could look away she found where his eyes had been contently gazing at; Ave Hart.

Hermione looked back to him and smiled "She's very pretty, isn't she?" Harry shrugged and looked down at his plate, scrapping the porcelain enamel with his fork. 

"She's okay," he mumbled. 

Soon it was time for the students to head up to their Common Rooms. "Griffindor First Years over here!" Hermione called. Ron stood beside her, looking forlornly towards Harry as he disappear around the corner.

"Oi! Griffindor First Years! Get over here!" He yelled over the commotion of the Great Hall.

"Ron!" Hermione berated.

"What? I don't want to spend all night rounding them up!" 

"Yes Mr. Weasley. Playing Wizards Chess with dear friends is much more enjoyable than babysitting children, I know." 

"Exactly my point... Professor Dumbledore!" Yes, for when they both turned around they found the old Headmaster smiling at them. 

"Hello Mr. Weasley. It's good to see you, I hope you had a lovely summer." He said looking over to where a group of Hufflepuff girls were chatting; Susan Bones was among them.

"Err, yea," said Ron, burning scarlet. 

The old Professor smiled and turned to Hermione. "Miss. Granger, would you be so kind as to come to my office tomorrow after your classes?"

"Err... sure Headmaster." He smiled at her.

"The password is 'Snickers', they are a very enjoyable candy bar, but I'm sure you know that." His eyes sparkled as he smiled again and walked away from the two Prefects. 

Once the Professor was out of hearing distance Ron turned to her. "Why does Dumbledore want to see you?" 

"I don't know," she replied. She gave him a confused look before returning to her Prefects duties. Just before she lead all of the small Griffindor First Years out of the Hall she caught, out of the corner of her eye, the image of Dumbledore talking to Miss. Ave Hart. 


	3. Classes New Girl and Legends Oh My!

Hey guys sorry that I haven't updated in a while but I've been extremely lazy hehe. But here's the next chapter, I hope you like it! Please, please, please review I need to know if it's worth anything! And thanks to those who did review, I heart you sooo much!

*.::Classes, New Girl, and Legends Oh My!::.*

Wake up. Wake up. WAKE UP! 

Hermione rolled over lazily in her bed and banged the alarm clock sitting on her nightstand. The incessant tolling of the screeching clock dwindled off; she knew she had just broken another alarm. She sighed and flung the cover over her head to block the offending morning light. She really didn't want to get up, and she really didn't want to go to class. 

What's this you might ask? Hermione Granger dreading class? By all means you would think she would be ecstatic to start another year at Hogwarts, but you would be quite wrong. Although Hermione still loved learning and school, she had grown quite lazy during the summer holidays, and waking up at six in the morning, she found, was not at all suitable for a sixteen year-old girl. 

She groaned and scrambled out of bed. Indeed she had grown lazy, but she was still afraid to be a recipient to the wrath of some teacher for being tardy. She took the time to wake herself up by rubbing her eyes, stretching, and yawning. She walked to the bathroom that connected to the dorm that she shared with two others, Lavender Brown and Pavati Patil, and took a quick shower. When she finally returned to the bedroom, Lavender and Pavati had just woken up. "Good morning, Hermione," they said thickly. 

"Good morning." She replied. The two girls walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Hermione proceeded to change into her school robes and dry her hair. She picked up her wand from her nightstand and muttered a simple spell. "Desiccardo." Her hair seemed to blow about by an invisible wind and then settle down around her shoulders, now dry. She brushed it through with a comb, grabbed her books, and exited through the door. 

She did not stop in the Common Room to chat with idle students (it was too early for her to give an intelligent speech), but walked straight to the portrait exit and out into the halls. As she walked in the direction of the Great Hall she watched the moving portraits. Some were moving about their frames and some were still snoring. One picture, she noticed, had crossed the boundary of his own canvas and had entered the one next to his own. He crept up behind the sleeping form of a Renaissance man, bent down, and called loudly into his ear. The slumbering man startled and looked around, transfixed. Once he noticed the wizard standing behind his chair he began to wail words Hermione didn't even know existed. 

She sped up, eager to get away from the angry portrait, and was soon at the entrance of the Great Hall. The smell of breakfast foods wafted to her and she rushed inside. She had almost forgotten how wonderful it was at Hogwarts in the morning. She quickly found Harry and Ron and sat opposite them. "Good morning," she said cheerfully, grabbing a muffin and peeling away the baking paper.

"Good morning." Harry said jadedly. 

"Good horning 'Ermione!" Little chunks of food came flying from Ron's mouth and Hermione raised her hands to protect her face as it came hurling towards her. She wiped her hand on her napkin and glared at Ron.

"Ron," she hissed, "swallow your food!" She pronounced each word separately, desperate to get her message through to her friend. Ron swallowed and looked sheepishly up at her.

"Sorry." Then he went back to eating.

Hermione began to pick at her muffin; she had a half-hour until her first class so she was in no rush to eat. She looked around the room, at the students filtering in through the door, and up at the ceiling. It was going to be a beautiful day, she noticed. The sky was blue and there were a few puffy white clouds scattered throughout the atmosphere. She looked down from one end to the other of her own table, noticing that many of her friends had come to breakfast. She saw Neville, Ginny, Lavender and Pavati, who had just come from the dorms, Dean, and the Creevy brothers.

She reached for the coffeepot that sat in front of her and noticed that Harry was looking right over her shoulder to an unknown point. She forgot her coffee and opted to find just what, or who, had him so attentive. She scanned the room and finally her eyes settled on Ave Hart. Of course, she thought dryly, he was looking at her last night too. She took the time to look over the new student. 

She looked just as perfect as she did the night before, even more so because she had not just produced herself after a long train ride. Then Hermione looked down at the girls' plate. Ave only had a half a bagel and some strawberry marmalade smeared thinly upon it and a mug of steaming black coffee. Hermione looked back at her own breakfast and her stomach gave a lurch. Maybe she should start watching what she ate. She looked up at Harry and noticed that he had not once taken his eyes off of Ave. A small flicker of rage bubbled within her but it was immediately extinguished. Why should she care if Harry was looking at some girl? He was only her friend; it wasn't like she had a huge crush on him or anything. 

Hermione spend the next ten minutes verbally fighting with herself inside her head, picking at her muffin (never eating a bite) and sipping on her coffee. Finally, she concluded that she didn't want Harry to experience another Cho incident like last year's. He was her best friend and she was merely looking out for him. 

A bell rang in the distance and immediately students stood and started walking in a flurry. The older kids walked to the door and filtered out, laughing without a care in the world. The new first years sat still in their seats; they all looked slightly confused as they gawked at their timetables. One by one they stood and made their way to the exit, still clutching their sheet of parchment in their little fists.

Hermione looked over to Ave, remembering that she too was new, and saw at least half a dozen boys offering to help her find her way to class. Ave waved them off with a smile and elected to walk to class with her new found girlfriends. She turned and briskly walked out of the Great Hall with her new friends trailing a step behind her. 

The whole of Hufflepuff table had departed except for one. Susan Bones came up beside the threesome and tapped on Ron's shoulder. "Good morning Ron," she beamed. Ron turned and smiled to her. 

"Good morning," he said. It looked as though he thought about it for a moment, but then bent to hug her and kiss her lightly on the cheek. Hermione and Harry rolled their eyes together as they watched both parties of the relationship turn as red as the Hogwarts Express.

"Hello Hermione... Harry," said Susan as Ron interlaced their fingers.

"Hello," they said together.

There was an awkward silence for several seconds until Hermione spoke up. "So Susan... what class do you have first?" When in doubt, talk about school, Hermione thought to herself.

"Oh, I have Astronomy first," she said glancing quickly at her timetable, "and then Transfiguration after that."

Hermione nodded. "Me too!" She grabbed the girls' hand "Come on. These two won't meet up with us until Transfiguration." The two girls walked out of the Hall with Ron and Harry trailing behind them and then turning in a completely different direction. The girls waved goodbye to them and started making their way up to the Astronomy Tower. "You know," said Hermione, "I'm really glad you and Ron are going out. I mean, I don't know if you've noticed, but he can be very dimwitted sometimes. Maybe you can knock some sense into him."

Susan smiled. "I hope so." She stayed silent for several moments and then spoke again. "Thanks for breaking the ice back there, I felt so stupid just standing there." She laughed lightly and Hermione waved her hand in dismissal. 

"No problem."

The girls finally made it up to the classroom to find that it was almost full. They quickly sat beside each other towards the back of the class and continued to talk about small things. "I thought it was so funny when Ron conjured that Patronus last year in D.A. and it was in the form of a weasel," Susan said between giggles, "and then it started rubbing against him like some pet dog!" The two girls giggled ferociously. As their laughter died down the last few stragglers found their way into the classroom and the Professor showed his face from inside his office. 

The class was mostly a review, surely most of the students had forgotten a good portion of their lessons over the summer. Hermione barely caught a word of what the teacher was saying. She already knew all of the material and then some. So it's ok if I let my mind wander, just for today, she told herself silently.

Before she knew it the bell had rung and Susan already had all of her belongings packed away. "Err... Hermione? Earth to Hermione." Susan waved her hand in front of the girl's vacant eyes.

"What? Oh..." Hermione quickly shoved her textbooks into her bag and stood. The two girls climbed down the tower and made their way over to the Transfiguration corridor. In front of McGonagall's door was Harry and Ron. Once the two groups were in conversing distances Susan grabbed Ron's hand and they linked their fingers together before walking into the classroom.

"What do you think about them?" asked Harry. "Ron wouldn't stop talking about her all throughout class!" They began to walk into the classroom and, since Ron and Susan had sat in the back together, they grabbed a desk near the middle of the room.

"I like it. She's really nice you know." Hermione replied.

"Yea," said Harry.

McGonagal walked in from her office and called the class to attention. She was in the middle of going over a diagram that showed how to transfigure an owl into goblet, something they had learned last year, when a noise sounded from the back. Ave Hart had just walked in through the doorway.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly to the Professor. "I got lost."

"It's understandable." said McGonagal, looking much like a hawk about to swoop in for its' pray, "Please find a seat Miss. Hart."

Ave weaved her way through the desks and sat next to Dean Thomas near the front. Dean looked over at her and then to Seamus with a goofy smile on his face. He gave his friend a thumbs up and turned back around. The Professor gave Dean a sharp look and then went back to explaining the diagram.

Hermione noticed that every boy in the room, including Harry, had not taken his eyes off of Ave since the minute she walked in the door. Hermione's throat constricted as she watched Harry watch Ave. There was something in his eye, she noticed, that had only been there last year. The only other person he had looked at that way had been Cho Chang.

The class went by very slowly for Hermione. The boys continued to stare at the beauty that sat at the front of the class, and McGonagall went on teaching, as if she didn't know that half her class had their attentions else where (though she showed signs of frustration from time to time). All the while the empty feeling in Hermione's stomach continued to grow and the lump in her throat seemed to swell.

Finally the bell rang and everyone in the class packed up their belongings. Harry and Hermione waded to the back of the class where Ron and Susan were waiting for them. "Thank God, lunch is next!" Ron said with a look of glee on his face. "I'm starved."

"All you ever think about is your stomach!" Hermione exclaimed. She sighed, "Come on guys, lets go to lunch before Ron starts crying or something."

"I don't cry!" exclaimed Ron indignantly. 

But before they could take one step closer towards the door Harry stopped and turned around. When Hermione turned around she saw Ave Hart standing behind them. She had tapped Harry on the shoulder and was now smiling shyly at him. "Hi," she said, "I couldn't help but noticed... I mean I hope you don't think me rude for this... but you're Harry Potter!" 

"Err... yea I am." Harry looked like he was at a loss for words. His mouth hung open as he stared at her. 

"It's just that... I've always wanted to meet you," she said. She held her hand out for him to grasp. "I'm Ave Hart." Harry shook her hand, still at a loss for words. 

Ron nearly plowed over Harry as he made his way towards the girl. He held out his own hand. "Hi! I'm Ron Weasley!" She smiled and shook his hand. 

"Hi."

"It's very nice to meet you," said Hermione, "but Susan and I have to make a quick run to the library before lunch." Susan gave her a confused glace. Realization dawned on her.

"Oh yea, that thing that we have to do... in the library."

The two girls left the other three behind and headed out the door. Instead of walking towards the library however, they walked to the Great Hall in a quick pace. "What do you think of her?" asked Hermione.

"I donno -- something's kind of off. Don't you think?" She looked to Hermione who shook her head in agreement. "Did you noticed how every guy in there was staring at her the whole time? I mean, even Ron had his eye on her!" She looked slightly hurt.

"Don't worry," Hermione assured her. "Ron is head over heals for you!" She was quick to relay the information that Harry had told her. "Harry said he couldn't stop talking about you in their first class." This cheered Susan up a bit.

"Still, I think there is something wrong about that girl. I think I'll keep an eye on her. I have to share a dorm with her you know, so it will be quite easy." She looked to Hermione, who again nodded her head. "And I'll tell everything I learn to you! It will be like one of those adventures that you, Ron, and Harry are always on. Except it will be just us two!" The girls smiled broadly at each other.

"I would like that," said Hermione. "You know, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." The two girls giggled.

They entered the Great Hall and separated to go to their own tables. Hermione sat down and placed some food on her plate. Not long after, Ron, Harry and Ave walked into the Hall and separated, beaming and waving at each other. The two boys made their way down the table and sat across from Hermione.

"Whoa, Ave is really nice!" exclaimed Ron. "You'd like her Hermione. It's too bad you had to go to the library." He began to pile food onto his plate.

"Yea," agreed Harry, "and she's really smart. Maybe as smart as you, Hermione."

Hermione looked at him with daggers in her eyes but he didn't perceive it. "I'm sure that's true." No one in their year was as smart as her, and she had gotten quite use to the fact. They all began to eat. Soon, Ron and Harry began to talk about this year's Quidditch team, while Hermione flipped through a thick tomb. Soon the bell rang and the students went off to their last class of the day. 

The Sixth Year Griffindors walked towards their History of Magic class. They sauntered in through the door to find Professor Binns floating two feet from the ground. "Hello Sixth Years, come in, come in." The students shuffled into the classroom. History of Magic had been, and would always be, the most boring class any of them had even taken. It was an understatement to say that they were not looking forward to the contents of the next hour.

"Now class," droned the ghostly figure, "this year we will be learning about subjects a bit closer to home." He looked around to see if he had the entire class' attention. "This year we will be learning about the History of Hogwarts." The students started to whisper feverously. Could it be that Professor Binns was actually going to teach something interesting? "We will cover subjects such as important people, events, headmasters, prophecies, and legends such as the Founders' Colors. You will be required to memorize all of the Headmasters in the history of Hogwarts and..."

The teacher continued to drone on and on but Hermione had tuned him out after he had mentioned the Founders' Colors. Never once, in her long hours in the library, had she heard of such a legend. She raised her hand and eagerly waved it about. The Professor stopped in mid-sentence when he caught sight of her raised hand. 

"Yes Miss. Granger?" 

"I was just wondering what the Founders' Colors was." The class groaned, they were hoping to just sleep through the teacher's syllabus, but now that Hermione had asked such a question they would probably have to take notes. "It's just that, I've never once heard of this legend." This got the attention of the students. Something that Hermione Granger didn't know? Well then, it had to be very interesting and secretive. 

Professor Binns cleared his throat loudly. "Yes well... the Founders' Colors is supposedly a spell that three of the Founders of Hogwarts cast. They were worried that danger would present itself on the horizon of time in the Magical World; in a time when they would not be there. They decided to cast a spell that would give one girl from each house the power to wield the elements, one for each girl; Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. There was a problem, however. Rowena Ravenclaw did not want any part in casting this spell. She claimed that to give so much power to a girl would eventually ruin her. So she left the friendship she had always known. The remaining three decided in the end to go along and cast the spell, manipulating it slightly to allow the strongest of the three girls to possess two elements. 

Many people do not believe in the Founders' Colors, it is but a mere legend that has been distorted and altered over the years. There is actual proof that such a spell had never been cast. First of all, Rowena Ravenclaw was not the first to leave Hogwarts, it had been Slytherin, as we well know. Secondly, if such a spell had been cast it probably would have taken affect during the rein of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

The Professor finished his tale right before the bell rang. The Griffindors gathered their things and headed out of the room. "Please bring your copies of 'Hogwarts: A History' to your next lesson!" Professor Binns shouted after them. 

Harry, Ron and Hermione began to walk towards the Griffindor Tower, chatting idly with each other. "That was actually interesting, for once," said Ron. He then forgot all of schoolwork and classes. "I could go for a light snack right about now. You two want to sneak down into the kitchen?" 

"I'm in," said Harry. They both turned to her. "Hermione?"

"Sure, I guess so." But she couldn't go to the kitchen. She had just remember the short chat with Professor Dumbledore last night. "I can't," she said regrettably. "Professor Dumbledore asked me to come up to his office today after my classes."

"Oh yea," said Ron. "I almost forgot about that. Want us to wait for you in the kitchen?"

"No, I'll meet you two later in the Common Room." She started walking back the opposite way.

"We'll bring you back something, Hermione!" yelled Harry from across the hall. Hermione waved back at them and continued to walked towards the Headmaster's office.


End file.
